Saved by The Bell

The expression ‘saved by the bell’ originated as one that relates to people being buried alive when mistakenly pronounced dead. The idea was that, if they revived while in the coffin, they could ring a bell that was attached to the coffin and be saved. Although the expression might be too anthropomorphic, 'saved by the bell' is certainly apt when last minute interventions ensure that species on the brink of extinction can continue to contribute to Planet Earth’s ecosystems.

In this section I will try and list species that are (being) saved from going extinction while being at the brink of it. For almost all these rescue operations zoos are or have been instrumental. The list comprises animal species that once were or still are Extinct in the Wild according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The role zoos play (or played) in saving a particular species from going extinct is described whether it is by ex situ or in situ conservation activities or both.

Most information is derived or copied from Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), Animal Diversity Web and at times Wikipedia was helpful.